the westbourne project is entering the final stages and the most fun. it’s where everybody can really start seeing things come together. we’ve completed the design of the master closet which is really luxurious, complete with a custom built island and dresser. we’ll also be installing shoe racks and plenty of hanging space. we’re using FSC, forest stewardship council, walnut. it will be stained a dark color and is sure to look gorgeous. by the way, in answer to the title, the big deal is that we all want them and we all have closet envy…. that, and we never have enough.

our LEED project, westbourne, is really starting to come together. we had the insulation installed last week and for the exterior walls and the roof/ceiling we used the blown in from greenfiber as discussed in a previous post. here are a couple of action shots;

step one is installing the mesh on the inside of all the exterior walls.

step two is cutting small holes in the mesh and inserting the vacuum hose and blowing the insualtion in. it took about three days for the complete install.

kind of like a vacuum hose in reverse.

the second floor complete with exterior walls and ceilingthe hopper that the insulation is fed into.

the master bathroom is one of the most important rooms in a home. it can be a place where you wake up and greet the morning or a place to relax after a long day. the westbourne master bathroom satisfies both of these requirements with style.

master bathroom floor plan

when you walk into the master bathroom, you’re immediately greeted by an almost six foot wide by nearly eight foot tall built in cabinetry unit that can hold robes, towels, linens, as well as a counter for a coffee maker or espresso machine and a small refrigerator to hold milk and water.

if you move to your right, you’ll see a private toilet room complete with a dual-flush toilet by caroma and waterless urinal by falcon

if you move to the left you will enter the main space of the master bathroom. you’ll find a long vanity with dual undermount sinks. the vanity “floats” above the floor for easy cleaning and is made from FSC, forest stewardship council, teak veneer, and formaldehyde free cabinets. the countertop will be caeserstone.

the shower consists of a steam shower unit which will allow for some nice relaxing time after that long day (or a great way to start the morning for you early morning types). the shower and tub are designed to be one unit by using a caeserstone tub deck that will also become the shower bench.

it seems no matter how small your kitchen is or how hard you try and keep people out, when you have friends over, they always end up in the kitchen. it’s inevitable. i must admit, i’ve even tried to leave the kitchen a little dirty, maybe even leave a few dishes in the sink before having people over for the sole purpose of keeping them out of the kitchen ( it never works by the way, and i end up washing dishes with one hand and flipping mushrooms in the other in front of an amused audience). so i decided to not only accomodate people in the westbourne kitchen, but really create a kitchen that will be sure to be the center of the party, that embraces the gathering and celebration of good food and great friends. from family gatherings to cocktail parties, this is one kitchen that will see a lot of smiling faces.

floor plan

we created an open kitchen that features a large sliding window system by nanawall that will allow for great cocktail parties as the outside/inside line merge to become one. we’ll also be building a countertop on the outside side of the nanawall window system. the countertops will be caeserstone, a product made from crushed quartz and extremely durable. the drawing below is the floor plan of the kitchen (layout);

elevation looking at cabinetry, sliding window system

the drawing to the right is an elevation (as if you were standing in the kitchen looking out) of the cabinetry and sliding window system. the windows will all slide to the left allowing a gracious 10′-0 opening;

elevation of cabinetry and 4'-0" wide range

the drawing to the right is an elevation looking at the 4′-0″ wide range and cabinetry. notice we’re not installing uppers along the back wall which we’ll keep a nice open feel in the kitchen (we have plenty of storage).

elevation showing refrigerator and upper cabinets

the drawing to the right shows the upper cabinets and refrigerator wall elevation. the cabinets will be made from FSC, forest stewardship council, rift cut white oak. the cabinet construction will be 100% formaldehyde free.